Good Morning !!! The first thing I would like to do is say Thank You to everyone who helped at Sue and Chet's place yesterday - it was a wonderful Mitzvah and I know it helped them out … There is still more work to be done both there and at other locations but I know we are on the right path …

Also I want to be sure and Invite everyone to join in this weeks Special Services on Thursday, Friday and of course Easter Sunday … This year we have added a new Service on Holy Thursday or Maundy Thursday … In case your like me, and are not clear on what the word "Maundy" means it comes from the Latin for 'command' (mandatum). It refers to the command given by Jesus at the Last Supper, that his disciples should love and serve one another. UNITY has a very special Service in which everyone in attendance has their feet washed by the Ministers … So please try and attend …

So here we are on what is traditionally called Palm Sunday … It is a recalling of the day when the Lord returned to Jerusalem and was welcomed back into town with a huge impromptu parade … Almost every 'brand' of Christianity celebrates it and in UNITY it is especially important … This morning's topic is “I won't do that” and it came from the Meatloaf Song “I'll do anything for Love, but I won't do that” … Now how does that fit into Palm Sunday, well I will try to explain my thinking this morning …

The first and most important thing to remember it that Our Lord did NOT have to do this - that is right, He did not have to come back to Jerusalem at all … He could continue His street Ministry and avoid those who opposed Him for the most part by just staying out of town … But no, He made a conscious decision to return and confront His destiny and “that” has enormous importance for us … It is really the hinge pin of everything we have been talking about both this Lenten Season, it is about our Higher Calling and is central to every time we talk about Answered Prayer …

As you know we have been going on and on about how Prayer is answered through us, the answer does not come “to us” … Well that is precisely what Jehsua is showing us today … He knew, better than anyone, that the answer to even His Prayers would require action on His part … He would have to become an active participant in the answer … Did He know at that point how things would end ??? Well there are no concrete answers in the Scriptures, or even the non-biblical books … He does make some references to “destroy this temple, and in 3 days I will raise it back up” and other passages that hint at His death but I honestly don't believe He was positive that was how it was going to go down just yet … The only way to know for sure is to ask Him personally and while I am truly A Student of Truth, I am not that anxious to find out for sure - if you get my point …

Seriously, the reason I say I don't think so is simple … When He Prayed in the Garden, He still realized there was an option for things to “pass” or “be removed” as He put it, and not end violently … For now though, it is very important for us all to remember that while He surely had an inkling of how this would end, He did not know for sure …

You see in UNITY one of the banners we use to Honor and Worship the Lord is “Jesus, our Way Shower” … And that is what is SO important about today … He is showing us “The Way” … He is giving the Christ Spirit, The Christ Present in each of us the Map to reach all of our goals … He was not sure of how it would end but He did not let that deter Him from doing what was needed on His part get the answer to His Prayers … He was willing to take that first step out in Faith …

What an incredible example He gives us with His choice today to come back to the very home base of those who would kill Him … To face down His attackers and open Himself to doing the Will of His Father … He knew it could go many ways, and again, I am pretty darn sure He did not know for sure how it would end … But His Faith in the Fathers Providential Care was such that He knew what needed to be, would be and that was all He needed …

While no one on the planet really knows what the whole Redemptive Act is/was about - remember not even the Lord Himself ever really broke it down for the disciples - what we do know is that is was something both The Lord and Those in Heaven did understand and apparently there were variables in the outcome … There were opportunities for the players, most notably The Lord Himself, to change their minds … For the whole Sacrifice thing to work, He had to be a willing participant …

So ok, how does any of this effect us … Well there is the obvious of course but just as importantly there is the example left to us on how we should also conduct ourselves when we are faced with decisions, challenges, dilemma's and possibilities in our lives …

How many times do we openly embrace the future, ready to willingly accept whatever it is it may have in store for us ??? How many times do we go out of our way to confront life ??? All through this Lenten Season the Daily Meditations have been leading us to the knowledge that we must each day open our Minds and Hearts to the Leadership and Inspiration of God and the Indwelling Spirit in each of us …

Let's face it, how many times do we really know what the outcomes to our Prayers will really be ??? We know what we are asking for, but as to the details we have been told we must accept “everything” that comes as part of the answer … Is that not exactly what we see Our Lord doing today ??? He had to know this course could end with Him being killed - we know He asked that it not be that way, and yet He walked right up to the issues and took things as they came …

As our “Way Shower” I cannot imagine a better example for us to follow … Here we are about to witness the whole Death and Resurrection experience this week … As the story from those who were there on that Good Friday shows, there was nothing frilly or lofty about that day or it events - it was full on, in your face life, it was gritty reality with a brutality that cannot be imagined unless you were witness to it … And yet, in spite of that possibility, He shows us that the Way is to embrace rather than run from our possibilities … Regardless of what we may think of the chances, regardless of how we would see things work out, we must openly accept and welcome the future, Trusting that as long as we are true to our Higher Calling, everything will happen in perfect Divine Order … And even when things seem abysmal we can have Faith that in reality everything is happening just as it should … And I think most importantly, we can have that Inner Peace that comes from knowing we are following our Fathers Will that always contains the very best for everyone involved … It allows us to release our fears, our doubts, our control and truly place ourselves directly into the Divine Flow of Love that is available to us …

So when you look at that Palm in your hand this morning - see it for what it truly stands for … See it as a banner that proclaims your Faith … That proclaims your willingness to imitate your Way Shower … As you go into Meditation this morning see it as a Roadmap to the completion of your life's plan … See it as the ultimate reminder that Answered Prayer begins with us, comes through us and requires us to be an active player in it's completion … Our Free Will gives us all the chance to walk away, to ignore and avoid as we all have experienced at different times in our lives, but it is when we confront life head on, with courage and Faith, that things really change and true growth occurs … And that is exactly what I think I Our Lord was showing us today …

So much like the old Meatloaf song, “I'll Do Anything For Love” Our Lord is saying to us that we can be sure that “I will Never Abandon or Leave You as you work through this life … I will walk with you on your own personal journey to the Cross, and I will be there to greet you on Easter Morning …” Take Heart, All is well …


Namaste'